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| Tuesday, 7 December 2004 |
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by Manjula Fernando Further studies are being conducted into the fallen meteorite found at the Sankabodhi Viharaya, Polonnaruwa by the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies to find its definite origin. The tests are to determine whether the object which shows certain magnetic qualities, is from the asteroid belt, inner solar system or outside the solar system, Dr. Chandana Jayaratne said. This asteroid which fell to the Sankabodi Viharaya on November 27, creating a fissure 3.6 cm in length, 3.3 cm in width and 3 cm in depth has now been confirmed to be a rare type iron meteorite by the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies after an X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry analysis and several other tests, Dr. Jayaratne said. A resident monk has seen a blue smoke tail when it came down. According to eye witnesses the object was shining metallic blue but within 24 hours it has turned brownish black due to oxidation after contact with oxygen in the earth's atmosphere. The meteorite weighing 47.015 grms. consists of elements Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe and Zn and was the first outer space object to be tested since the setting up of the meteorite testing laboratory at the Clarke Institute. |
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